


Pumpkin Parade

by Kariki



Series: 13 Nights of Hartmon (Kind of) [1]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: 13 Nights of Hartmon, Caitlin will forever hate pumpkins because of this Cisco, Cisco goes overboard with decorating, Gen, Halloween, Hartley has to save the day, kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-20
Updated: 2016-10-20
Packaged: 2018-08-23 13:36:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8329861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kariki/pseuds/Kariki
Summary: Hartley is called in to save the day as Cisco goes a bit overboard.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This can take place after 2x17 or even the latest season, if you like.

"I came as soon as I..." Hartley skidded to a stop as he entered the cortex. As he glanced around the room, he estimated about twenty pumpkins in various stages of jack-o'-lanterndom, at least ten cardboard skeletons on the walls in various poses, a few dozen rubber bats hanging from the ceiling, and orange and purple string lights were lining every window, doorway, and desk. "...could?"

Caitlin looked up from the floor as Hartley slowly entered the room, a half-carved pumpkin in front of here.

"Oh, thank god you're here," Caitlin sighed in relief, climbing to her feet, dusting herself off. She grabbed Hartley by the shoulders and looked him in the eye. "Cisco is out of control, you deal with him."

Before Hartley could answer, she grabbed her coat out from under a box of Styrofoam skulls and left.

"Okay?" he called out after her, not expecting a response. He heard the front doors to STAR Labs open and close. After a few minutes, he heard Caitlin's car rev up and drive away.

He turned back to look at the room around him.

When he had gotten a text saying: "OMG help us *Labs" he had assumed it was actually something dangerous going on.

The only thing dangerous in the room was the plastic bag by the desk filled with bags of candy.

Hartley turned to the door as a crackle of lightening reached his ears and a gust of wind sent the skeletons on the wall fluttering and the bats swaying.

Barry, grinning, set Cisco's feet back on the ground. In Cisco's hands were more bags almost overflowing with orange and black. 

Hartley crossed his arms, putting on his most unimpressed expression, and waited.

"Oh, hey, Hart," Barry said, his grin slowly fading as he looked Hartley over.

"Oh, hi, where's Caitlin?" Cisco asked, not looking up as he began to dig his purchases out of the bag.

"Uh, I think I'd better go," Barry started, backing back out of the door to the cortex.

"What, why?" Cisco looked up at Barry, frowning. 

"Work," Barry said after a moment, shaking his head. He pointed his thumb behind him. "CSI stuff... you know... that."

"But we've barely even started decorating the labs," Cisco looked around the cortex, "I mean, we've done good so far but I wanted to line the hallways and maybe the main..." Cisco's eyes reached Hartley's form, taking in his crossed arms and glower. "Oh... right."

"Sorry, Cisco," Barry shrugged with a small smile before disappearing with another gust of wind.

"So, you're here to play the Grinch then?" Cisco huffed, stalking over to the nearest chair and sitting down. 

"The Grinch is for Christmas," Hartley pointed out, moving to lean his hip against the desk Cisco was sitting at. 

"The Halloween Grinch then," Cisco shrugged, going back to digging out the bright orange and black garland. "Why're you here?"

"Caitlin texted me," Hartley pulled out his phone and pulled the text up, showing it to Cisco. "I think you traumatized her."

"She agreed to help," Cisco all but pouted. "She thought a bit of decorating would do us a bit of good."

"Cisco, this isn't a 'bit' of decorating," Hartley huffed out a small laugh, shaking his head. "This is Halloweentown."

"I like Halloween," Cisco shrugged, tearing off the cardboard that kept the garland in its loop. 

"I can see that," Hartley nodded toward the pumpkin Caitlin hadn't finished, "but it's a bit much."

Cisco sighed and looked around the cortex, slowly spinning in his chair.

"It's been a rough year," he finally said after a few rotations, "Halloween is suppose to be carefree and happy, where things are scary but not really, you know?"

"I suppose," Hartley nodded, jumping up to sit on the edge of the desk now. "You're trying to distract everyone."

"I thought that's what I said," Cisco stopped the chair to face Hartley. "You really think it's too much?"

"For a lab, yeah," Hartley nodded, picking up a tiny pumpkin from the desk. "Maybe taking what you _already_ have and spreading it out might make it a bit easier to swallow."

Cisco groaned and lulled his head back. "I _guess_."

"And I hope that candy is for Trick-or-Treaters."

"...mostly."

Hartley rolled his eyes.

"Tell you what," he hopped down from the desk to stand in front of Cisco, "I'll help you spread this out and finish decorating and in exchange, you give me that bag of Reese's cups."

Cisco narrowed his eyes. "I don't know, I like the Reese's."

"We can split it."

Cisco studied Hartley for a moment, suspicious, before offering his hand. "Deal."


End file.
